A Change in Acoustics
by TheDragonEye
Summary: ECModern day. Three friends, one with dreams in America, one with a fiance in Italy, the other with nothing but a secret love. When paths cross again Erik will see why secret isn't always better, and sometimes slow and steady doesn't win or does it?
1. Promise

**Author note: Ok, it's a new idea I came up with in the midst of an A.P. Euro test. Tell me what you all think.**

**Summary: (Modern) They had always been a threesome, from high school and up through college it had always been Erik Destler, Christine Daae, and Raoul de Changy**. **They had always thought they were close, until Raoul decided to tell them on their college graduation day that he had a fiancee and would be leaving for Italy the week after. Now Erik and Christine feel a bit empty, but there was something stirring between them that they had never known before. But, people have their eyes on the individuals, after all, they had always been a group not lovers. Is it too late to change that before the two remaining ones of the group split to never see one another again?**

**TheDragonEye**

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**A Change in Acoustics**

"_Hey! Come on we are going to be late!"_

"_I'll make sure to call you!"_

"_Have fun in the world!"_

"_Don't drop out of touch even with your job offerings!"_

"_I'll miss you!"_

Those were the normal callings to be expected on such a day like this. A day were students, who had put in their hopes, efforts, and dreams, would finally be released into a world to test their knowledge against life. Yes, the end of their in school education was coming to a close, but that would never stop the process of learning. Friends came and went, but sometimes they would never leave your side. Sure they remained always in your heart, and though that would make a person feel fine and dandy for the first moments their friends are out of their sight, soon enough you will begin to feel lonely and long to see them, to speak to them, to hear them. Yes. . perhaps even touch them. That could be the cases with crushes and such, knowing that you had long since missed your chance to tell them your true feelings. 'Good bye' meant good bye, but 'See you soon' was a hope, and perhaps even a promise if someone special said it to you.

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There were two people sitting side by side under a rather large oak tree. A photo album was spread out over a female's leg as she pointed out some pictures to a masked man who sat next to her. They would laugh, and then in a silence and breath-ful sigh, recalling all that had happened between them all. By them, I was talking about a group consisting of two males and a female who had been friends since the beginning of their freshman year in high school. The girl's name was Christine Daae, the one who's photograph was currently being viewed. She was the one who held much sense of reasoning between the other two. Her dark brown eyes would look over a picture and pull it out of it's protective sleeve to hold it up to the other one lying there as she pushed some of her dark brown hair out of her eyes as the wind past.

The masked man would take the picture and look at it with a certain longing in his eyes, more out of disbelief that all of these things seemed as though they had happened so long ago. Which they had, but it was just amazing how quickly time went by. Erik Destler was his name. He had always never been the most popular guy, but when he had moved to Paris at the beginning of his high school years he found himself to be all the more lost. His mask which hid a deformity was often gawked at, but that was before he met Raoul and Christine. Ever since then he seemed to have gained more respect as a person, and not one who just looked like a masquerader with green eyes and black hair. Erik would take a last look at the picture before he would hand it back to Christine with a weak smile and a _'I remember that. . .'_

"Oh, Erik, look at this. . remember this?" Christine spoke with a smile and pointed to three barely distinguishable people under the confides of caked mud and such.

Erik nodded a few times, "The corn field maze. . hah. . yes I remember. You got stuck in the murk anyways. That is not easily forgotten." he smiled.

"Yes, and I had to have my two brave men to come and rescue me-"

"Which resulted in you kicking mud into Raoul's face-"

"Which made you laugh. . "

"And made him throw mud at me. ."

"And resulted in a huge fight of mud." they both finished, obviously they had told that story before, but with the smiles on their faces it appeared as if they never got tired of thinking back to those things.

The smiles seemed strained though, the memories they could keep, but after college they knew what would happen. Christine would be on a plane to America a month or so after today, leaving Erik and Raoul in Paris. Erik just knew things wouldn't be the same. I mean, who would keep him from strangling Raoul when he got annoyed? And who would keep Raoul from hiding Erik's things including his mask in retaliation? But they had a few more days to enjoy themselves, Christine wasn't leaving for another month at least which was a good thing. . right?

"Christine, you did tell Raoul that we would be here at ten, right?" Erik asked as he stretched and spread out on the grass with a loud groan. The wind picked up, resulting in an acorn to be blown free and hitting Erik straight in the forehead with a hollow 'clunk' on it's part.

Christine giggled, "I certainly hope it was the acorn which was hollow and not your head." she burst out laughing when Erik glared at her. Erik's features softened and he scooted back up next to Christine, laying his head on her shoulder as he looked over it and at the photo album. "Yes, Erik. I told him several times we would be here."

"We Raoul is not exactly the smartest one in the bunch." he spoke in reply earning him a smack in the head. "Ow. . hey! I was just saying that the right belongs to you."

Christine gave an 'Aww' and ran the back of her hand across the top of his head where she had hit him. "I am sure he will be here, Erik. We know him all too well. He wouldn't miss this for anything."

"Unless he is off screwing around."

"Erik!"

"What. . oh. . I didn't mean it like that," Erik smirked, obviously he had meant it in the way he had said it. Christine scoffed once more and tugged at his ear. "Ow! . . Raoul! Tell Christine to stop abusing me!" he spoke when he saw the familiar male walking towards them.

Raoul de Changy, was one from a long blood line tied to France soil. But that didn't matter much anymore. He completed the circle with being one to be more of the sense of humor and one to understand more then Erik, who would take action rather than think. The blonde sat down on the opposite side of Christine with a cheesy smile. "Pull harder, Christine!" he laughed as he saw Erik wince.

Christine released the hold on Erik's ear after giving it a flick once more on the bottom earlobe. "You're late, Raoul." Christine remarked as she poked him in the shoulder before turning the page of the photo album to more recent pictures. There were pictures of the three of them off campus, some really wacky ones on campus, and a few with more along the lines of inside jokes which caused them all to start laughing at the sight.

Raoul ran his hand through his hair. "I needed to take care of a few things before four o'clock rolls around. . . I just, can't believe today is it."

"What can't you believe? That you actually managed to pass?" Erik asked, grumbling as he rubbed at his ear. He reached over and smacked Raoul across the back of the head. "For betraying me." he mumbled as Raoul shot him a dark look.

"Play nice, boys." Christine smiled as she looked up at the two of them whom she had come to love as close as family, possibly even closer throughout these years.

"No, I am talking about that we are going to graduate today. . and that . . .well. . " Raoul trailed off as he lowered a hand from the back of his head. All three of them fell into a silence. Of course they had all been thinking about it, but none of them had wanted to day it. It was just too much to think of. Christine would be half way across the world from them.

"Look." Erik spoke and pointed to another picture. "Remember when Christine slipped and her ice cream went flying and it hit Carlotta and Piangi while they were close to kissing? She never truly forgave you for that did she?" Erik asked as he looked at Christine who shook her head. "No, Carlotta didn't forgive me, but Piangi got down on bent knee and thanked the gods for me and my clumsy habits." she tried to keep her voice straight through the entire sentence but it gave way to laughter and they all went into another fit of happiness, pushing away the thought that would come later on.

"Perhaps we should go get some ice cream now?" Erik asked as he stretched once more, looking at his two friends who nodded their agreement. "Alright. . . Raoul's treat!" The look on Raoul's face was priceless causing both Erik and Christine to wish that they had a camera on them. "Awww. . it's alright Raoul, I'll pay for mine and Christine's then." Erik spoke and stood up, "Hell, my treat, alright?" he asked.

"Good, I'm kind of shot for cash at the moment." Raoul spoke as he rose to his feet as well.

"Oh god Raoul, you're not still dating that Romaila girl are you?" Christine asked and breathed a sigh of relief when her friend shook his head no.

"Of course not, I am just kind of stripped." Raoul replied.

Erik burst out laughing after that and got looks from Christine and Raoul. "Hah! Any hidden meaning in that sentence, stripped for cash Raoul-y. Control your hormones." Erik's laughter died and he bolted across the campus grounds, a very red faced Raoul in pursuit who was pelting acorns after the masked man.

"IT WAS A JOKE!"

Christine shook her head, smiling as she took off after them, the photo album under her arm. Sometimes the both of them were so immature, but they could always make her laugh. She didn't know what she would do without them to make her happy when she was sad, or to comfort her when she was completely distraught. She hoped they would be able to stay strong themselves when the time came to say good bye.

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"Raoul, your ice cream is melting." Erik spoke as he looked over at his friend, bearing a faint red scratch on the visible side of his face where a broken acorn had got him.

"Oh. ."

"Something's bothering you, me and Erik have sensed it all day, Raoul." Christine spoke.

Raoul looked up to see both of his friends looking down at him from where he sat, Erik on top of the table with his feet on the bench while Christine was on the bench. He himself on the ground.

Raoul sighed a bit and shook his head, "Today is going by too fast my friends." They both nodded their heads in agreement. There was a lapse of silence before Christine stood up and looked at them.

"Let's promise one another now. That we will meet again once all of this is over, and we won't change." the brunette smiled and the two males offered small ones in reply.

"A promise."

"A promise."

"Forever."

"Uh. . Raoul? Your ice cream is still melting." Erik spoke as he watched it leak through the bottom of the cone and on to the man's pants.

Raoul gave a groan of aggravation and then smiled. He did his best to finish up his ice cream resulting in a sticky mess. When all three of them were done they started away from the parlor and back towards the main buildings of campus.

"Well, seeing how we all have to get ready, let's meet back at the tree when we are done, alright?" Christine asked and walked off as she watched the others nod.

"She's changed from when we first met her." Erik spoke softly. "We all have."

"Come on, Erik. Let's just go get ready alright?" Raoul asked as he looked at his masked friend who started to grow another smirk. And Raoul could only guess what his reply would be now.

"Sticky in your pants?" Erik asked and started towards the dorm.

"Erik! Enough of the sex references. You are intolerable!" Raoul hollered after him and caught up where the both of them walked back to their dorm, preparing for the night of graduation which was to come.

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**Ending note:**

**Please tell me what you all think. Should I continue with this idea?**

**TheDragonEye**


	2. Graduation

**Author note: Thank you to Twinkle22 who reviewed my first chapter. Hope others will review, and enjoy the chapter. The italics are flashbacks for a reference. I will try to update sooner for those who care to even read the story, but the PSATs are here and the teachers are making a big deal out of them. . so yeah, enough excuses, I'll write more often.**

**TheDragonEye**

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**Graduation**

The music was playing a slow graduation march as the graduating students made their way down the aisles and into the seats on the raised platform. The dean stepped forward as soon as everyone was settled and began that welcoming/ we're-so-proud-of-these-students-they're-the-best-class-we-have-had-ever. Everyone knew that they say the same to each class just to set them out of college in a good attitude and thoughts in their mind.

_Daae, De Changy, Destler_

It was odd that they should be the best of friends, yet this is the order in which they sat, directly one after another in their seats. But none of them looked at one another, not since they had met back at the tree had they spoken a few words:

"_Alright so after this is all over we should go out and do something. . together. What do you say?" _

"_Christine. . .Erik. . . wait, there is something I have to tell the both of you. I think it will more or less affect you more, Erik. I. . am sorry I have been hiding this from both of you, but, it's for the best that you know now, and not question later. . . . about my actions." Raoul spoke up with a wave of his hand._

_Erik was silent a bit as he looked down at the ground. He should have expected this. Though he knew he was weaker on the inside he always acted strong and he had a feeling that he would be left to fend for himself. Raoul was probably making up some excuse to not hang around now that Christine wasn't going to stay here. He was being abandoned by his friends just like his parents had done to him. Sure, he was being selfish, wanting his friends to stay there with him, but he had no one else. And he had grown used to their comfortable atmosphere, they were the only ones who had really accepted him._

"_Raoul, I really do not think this to be the time." Christine spoke quietly as she looked down at her hands and smoothed the dark red of her graduation gown. "Let this be a good day, one to remember." she looked up at both of the men, both dressed in black as was the colors of the males of the university and dark red for the women. "After this I will take us all out to take the thoughts away, alright?" she smiled._

_For once the two males could not disagree._

"_Alright."_

"_Alright." _

_They both chimed in unison before the three of them headed off to join the rest of the graduates, preparing for the night that would truly end their lives and start anew._

All the drama, the hard work, and the days of playing skip figuring one can play catch up the next day all had led up to this moment. Yet it wasn't a relief to these three graduates- they all had something laying heavily on their mind.

Christine Daae- receiving a major in music and a minor in theater. She would be leaving the country soon, and she could still not get the looks of disbelief out of her head after she had told both of her friends the news. Her father, of course, had helped in the arraignment of auditioning and such for a few major roles in America. To think, America! The idea had made her so happy, until the faces of Erik and Raoul had shot through her head. Now it only made her sad to think of leaving them. She was especially worried for Erik. His face was always hard for people to accept and with his mask he always received second glances. They were never glances of admiration, usually along the lines of a gawk of a hidden mock or fear. Even after knowing him for so long she could say she barely knew anything of his past before freshman year, but it had been their love of music which had pulled them together in the first place.

As she looked out into the audience and spotted her father, Gustave, and mother, Lisa, her thoughts went back to the very day she had found him alone. . .

* * *

_Freshman year in high school was when Erik had first met both Christine and Raoul. He had no friends for the first few months and had long since earned the name of 'freak' from the cruel students of the high school. No one would go near him, in fear to pick up a nickname and stereotype from the rest of the body of students. But then, one day, Christine had found him alone in the band room when she had run to drop off her flute. She had entered and had gone to one of the wind shelves to leave the instrument when she heard the faint playing of the piano that branched off of the storage room and connected the band to the orchestra rooms together. Upon investigation she discovered the teen, clad in black, slowly playing away on the piano._

_Now Christine knew this was a lunch period, periods five through eight as a matter of fact. Right now it was period six, the time she had lunch. Did that boy have it the same as her? She couldn't recall ever seeing him in the cafeteria though. She took a few steps closer, not recognizing the piece he was playing. As she looked over his shoulder from a few feet away she caught sight of the title, _'Requiem di un ragazzo solo' _by Erik Destler. A Requiem? That was the only word Christine had managed to pick out. Her languages besides French and the little English she was learning now didn't help in that. The words on the page were also in the language, probably Italian by the spellings of it. Now, Erik Destler, that was the name of the boy who was shunned by everyone too? That must have been him playing in front of her._

"_Who are you mourning? Who is the song written for, E-Erik is it?" she asked in a soft voice. She knew she really shouldn't be talking to him, especially with all the rumors about him, but they were only rumors, right? She took a few steps closer and looked about the side of the organ to look at him. She hadn't been prepared for the sight and she let out a faint gasp of shock, causing the music to stop abruptly and the boy to stand up so quickly the piano bench fell over. Before Christine could speak he disappeared into the next room, leaving a bit of blood still on the organ._

_She could not believe what she had seen. She knew the boy had worn a mask, but for that reasoning? One side of his face had been completely marred- a red twisting lump of flesh where a smooth, flat cheek should be. But his other face could have been quite handsome had it not been for the bruises and cuts on it. There had been several welts visible on his arms where his shit sleeves had been rolled up, and his fingers were red and raw to the point of bleeding. How long had he been like that before she had come along?_

"_Wait, please!" Christine called and started after him. She had found Erik crouched behind several stacked boxes of sheet music and he didn't even raise his eyes when she approached him. "Are you alright? What happened? How long have you been in here?" she asked quickly, it was an instinct. Her kind heart just wouldn't stand to see it, not even the one people had called a 'freak'._

"_Go away, I don't need any pity from someone like you."_

_From someone like you. So this had been someone else? Another student who had done this to him? "I am not pitying you. . I am simply concerned." She spoke quickly after an instinctual step back. She sighed and moved down to her knees in front of him. "My name is Christine. You must be Erik. Are you alright?" she asked. She received no reply for several minutes. She shook her head and put her hand under his chin, forcing his head up and to the side as she inspected the bruises and cuts on his good side of his face. "You should really have the nurse look at those." she spoke, "And report those who did this to you."_

_Erik only shook his head and looked away from her, "That won't stop them, but. . . " he stopped his thank you and looked at her. "Why are you in here Christine?"_

"_It's sixth period and I normally drop my flute off during that time. I don't have the time in between classes she explained."_

"_Sixth period?" he echoed and shook his head. "I like instruments. . . this morning before school I hid away in here. .after. . well. . I like to play them. It's the only beautiful thing I can offer to the world." he spoke softly._

_Christine smiled faintly at him, feeling as though she was finally starting to uncover some truth of who this boy really is. "If you want, I can take you to get someone to look at those injuries. I am sure there is a lot more you know about instruments too that I would like to know, Erik."_

_Erik. She was using his name! No one, and rarely even the teachers used it. Most of the time they wouldn't call on him for anything. But this girl might be the only shot he had on talking to someone so he nodded and slowly rose to his feet, Christine doing the same. "It stands for The Requiem of the lonely boy." he spoke as he headed for the door._

"_Pardon?" the teen asked as she followed after him._

_He looked back at her. "The music I was playing. The requiem is my own, work and words in meaning."_

* * *

That had been the first day the both of them had met. Raoul had warmed up to Erik a bit later, but that was a little later on. Another story in which Christine remembered all too well. 

"Christine Daae."

Christine looked up as her name was called and stood, walking past her friends to collect her diploma from the dean. She shook hands with the beaming man before she circled around and sat down in her seat as Raoul De Changy's name was called, leaving a gap in the chairs as she looked over to Erik who was looking down at his hands.

"Erik Destler."

The man rose from his seat and started across stage, feeling as though he was walking to his death instead of to get a diploma which signaled a life out side of high school. He was never comfortable with being in front of so many people, people who stared at the black half mask which was on his face. Today due to the way he was walking the entire audience were the ones viewing it instead of his peers. In a way he felt sorry for them. No one should have been looking at him. After all, not even his parents had cared to look at his face. Who knew where they were now.

He sat down in his seat, his hands sweaty and feeling as though he might ruin the diploma that was in his hands. He looked over at Raoul and Christine, wondering how he would be able to go live without them to turn to.

* * *

"_Freak!" a punch._

"_Fag!" another punch._

"_Corpse." a kick to the side._

_Erik had grown used to these things, after all, it was spring in his freshman year of high school. The beatings were nothing new to him. But even so he whimpered in pain from the past beatings. The pain was adding up. He could hear Christine's pleas for them to stop, they never listened though. It was always nice to hear though that the one person he had befriended actually stayed by him. But she had earned a reputation in school as well. It really didn't affect her friendships of other people as much though. She shouldn't be forced to watch this though. Erik closed his eyes, wishing the pain to just go away, the three boys who had jumped them never seemed to get tired of using him as a punching bag though._

_Suddenly the beating halted and a new voice came up._

"_All three of you are pathetic, go home before you are arrested and put in juvenile hall."_

"_De Changy, stay out of this. Just because your father is a business man and your mother is a lawyer you think you know everything. Perhaps. . if you pay us to leave we will let the freak go from a beating. . .for the rest of the day." he heard one of the other boy's say, and Erik risked opening his eyes._

_He felt Christine's presence next to him as she knelt on the ground, but she didn't touch him. Probably because she risked hurting him even more. But there was someone standing over them, and from the boy's other words it was none other than Raoul De Changy._

"_Actually, I don't have to tell anyone. You idiots decided to try and attack these two in front of a school security camera, anything I say doesn't matter. They probably will already know."_

"_Why I outta-"_

"_But you won't, you will kindly go on your ways and plan on how to try and talk your way out of this mess." Raoul spoke coldly._

_There was a moment of silence before Erik heard three pairs of feet retreating. "Are you alright, Erik?" he heard Christine's voice and his gaze rose to look up at her. He heard De Changy ask him the same question as he looked down at him._

"_I'm used to it." was his simple reply._

* * *

Erik supposed Raoul and him had been friends ever since that moment, and that was also when people began to treat him as they would anyone else. He did have a hunch that Raoul was all to do with it, but as the years past he grew used to it. What Raoul had said earlier was making him nervous. What would happen if the man left him? Christine too? 

An hour or so later and the graduation ceremony came to a close, and Erik was forced to watch as families embraced the graduates, and people talked of the future. Erik retreated back to the oak tree as he watched Raoul and Christine run off to find their families.He felt so. . . alone and abandoned since the longest time. He should have come to realize sooner that Raoul and Christine had lives besides defending him and keeping him company. He slunk down, and looked at the diploma in his hands. A major in music, and a minor in Architectural design. Raoul he knew would follow up and become a business man. He now had a degree in law and such.

"Erik?" He looked up as he heard his name and saw Christine and Raoul standing a bit off, motioning him over. "Come on, let's go and enjoy the evening."

With a brusque nod Erik rose and walked over to them when Raoul slung a arm over his shoulder. "Lighten up, as long as Christine doesn't force us to eat anything she cooks we'll be fine."

"Look! I am sorry I mixed the sugar and baking powder up, give me a break!"

That jarred a smile on Erik's face as he walked with his friends down the familiar path leading away from the campus which had been their home for so long.

* * *

The roll of the waves was calming in Erik's opinion, Christine's choice had been a good one. They had all lain their graduation gowns away from the shore and were now sitting along the side as the water lapped up against their legs. They had talked for a bit before a sense of awkward and donning silence had overcome all three friends. Raoul was the one to break the silence. 

"I am going to Italy. . . three days from now." he spoke and shook his head as Erik opened his mouth to speak. "My fiancee is waiting their for me, and I am working with my father on a business proposition there. An offer for me to being a practice down in Rome. So. . I don't know if I will be back. . I will make sure I will come and see you off Christine, before you leave for America that is."

"Raoul, I'm so happy for you. What is her name? When did you meet her?" Christine asked, though everyone could see past her half cheerfulness. Erik on the other hand remained silent as he stared at the water as it would pull away and then seep closer once more. All this time. Raoul knew he was going to leave. Erik looked at Raoul and then Christine.

"You'll keep your promise. . the two of you. . won't you?" he asked softly.

"Erik, we aren't abandoning you. We'll see one another again. We promised." Christine spoke and looked up at Raoul, both thinking the same thing.

"Have you any job offers yet?" Raoul asked and frowned as Erik shook his head no. "You should look, and if you don't find something I am sure I can get a contact to you I mean father knows-"

"Your father knows people! I know Raoul!. . .I. . .I know." Erik's voice grew quiet after his sudden outburst of rage. He truly did not like the mentioning of family, plus the fact as though he could not do anything himself. Erik looked to Christine. Sure he was upset that Raoul was leaving him, but he would be in the same continent at least. Christine. . would be across the world. And deep down. . he knew. . from the moment he saw her. . She was. . she was. . .

There was a splash of water and Erik sputtered a bit to find that both Christine and Raoul had moved into the lake not caring that their clothes were getting wet.

"Come on Erik!" Christine called, with a smile.

"Yeah, after all you probably would prefer to be wet." Raoul added and shook his head at a moment over thinking his words.

Erik smiled once more faintly, Christine had been right, they needed to make this time last as much as they could, especially now that Raoul only had three days left in France.

"Yeah! You know that sexual joke fell flat." Erik replied as he wadded into the water, splashing some water at Raoul who returned it. He disappeared under the water which resulted in a water wrestling fight for a few minutes.

When they finally were soaked through the skin they waded out of the water and sprawled out on the beach once more, watching as the sun set.

"It's beautiful." Erik and Raoul both heard Christine whisper. Erik only gave a small nod before his fingers laced with hers.

"The perfect end to a day like this. A mosaic of colors, fading into the slate of darkness in a end of one life." Erik spoke.

"And the beginning of another." All three spoke together.

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**Ending note:**

**Hope you enjoyed it.**

**TheDragonEye**


	3. The definition of Love

**Author Note: 'Allo! Anyone care to remember me? Well. . . I'm back and am trying to get back on schedule fanfiction wise. I completed my NaNoWriMo with a total of 51,667 words and am rather proud of myself beams . . and err. . that kind of happened a month ago, but I have been really stressed out lately.**

**Any who, I decided to update this story first and will be working on updating Life Debt for all my readers who choose not to review this story but like my others. Speaking of reviews, Twinkle22 gets the gold star award for being supportive of this one. **

**Enjoy,**

**TheDragonEye**

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**The definition of Love**

There was a sense of uneasiness between Erik and Raoul as they returned home to pack up their things from their dorm. Raoul was leaving, and he was just telling them now about it. Three days was an impeccably short amount of time and yet there was so much the two of them had promised to do one day but were never going to finish now. Just thinking of it made Erik saddened when he should have been happy for his friend. He just could not find the cheer at the moment to do anything, especially pack up the place that had been his home for three years. He never would see Raoul again, no matter what he had said. It was just something you could tell. His mind would be clouded from his father's work proposal and with starting a family all his own. Christine would be gone and even if she _did _think of him, she would be too far away to see him ever again.

He was to be alone in the world once more. Just like the time before that fated day in the music room when Christine had found his poor lonesome figure wasting away on the piano.

He felt as though he would bring up his stomach, and he could not even recall what he had eaten earlier that day when he tasted a bit of bile in his mouth. He shook his head a few times, he could not make himself sick now. Not with only three days to go before Raoul would leave him. There would go his confidence then as well. He had been certain that his relationship with Christine had been purely as a strong and best friend, but as the years pasted he could feel it developing into something much, much more. He loved her.

He loved her more than the sister she claimed to be to him, and he did not know if she would ever return such feelings back to him, especially now with her plans so firmly set on going to America. Erik looked over to Raoul, who also seemed to have his eyes glazed over in thought. Would his friend even stay in Italy when he got there? Or would he vanish into the great wide somewhere of the world? Italy really was not too far from France, right? America was, and it would have been out of his range of money, he had to start paying back student loans as well. Would troubles never cease for him? He had no job offers, only because he failed to even bother to look for some. People could not see past his face and just accept his talent. It was just so difficult. No one could understand, and his outside family of just Raoul and Christine were going, going, going, and soon to be gone. No one could ever see past the mask on his face, especially to the students on campus who knew what lay beneath it.

He remembered that night, perhaps a little too much for his liking:

* * *

_April 28th: two years earlier-_

_Raoul always seemed to be invited to parties. People on campus always managed to find a reason to celebrate something. And Raoul, of course managed to drag both Erik and Christine along when he got the chance. Half because he did not know what to do among half the people he didn't know, and who knew if he would be safe coming back to the dorm after being drunk and around all the more drunks._

_This party was just for the hell of it, held in building 'C' dorm by none other than Joseph Bouquet. He was the one guy you never wanted to be around alone, especially if you were a female. He had an insatiable appetite for pleasure and seemed to flaunt it without a care in the world. One of those guys who thought college was just for screwing about. But either way, people always seemed to want to go to his parties. Why? Free beer, free stress relief from studying, and you did not want to turn down being invited. You would simply look like a wimp. _

_So the three of them had wound up going on Raoul's pestering and soon were all too welcome by Joseph into the dorm room. Erik of course noticed him ogling Christine, but who didn't? She was such a beauty. One that he knew he would do anything to have. What lay under his mask had been a secret. One kept between himself, Raoul, and Christine when they arrived on campus. It would just make things easier for Erik. Though that secrecy prevented him from actually making any other friends, if no one could tolerate being around him, imagine with his mask off!_

_The night had been nothing new, a party was a party, all of them the same unless something positively happened that was bran spanking new and was a hit. And. . well. .with Bouquet, you could always predict something would go wrong: Cops being called, fires, you know. . "normal" things. Well, this was the top of them all. For it was half way through the night– and everyone had drunk enough to get well, people acting odd. Beyond common sense and care. Even Erik himself must have been on his third glass of beer when he was tapped on the shoulder and he turned around. It seemed as though the world went into slow motion and he was paralyzed to do anything about it. A hand shot out and seized the edge of his black mask and pried it off his face to reveal his horrible birth defection._

_The world seemed to stop and everything went silent for a split second, a few beer cans dropped to the floor and Erik was the center of attention in a manner that he did not want to be. Oh horror, horror, horror. The looks on their faces. Some jeers, other disgust, others just unreadable in a cross between shock and the need to just judge him now. Everything he had ever done in the past two years on campus were gone, out the window and the mental image of what he once was- perhaps even seemingly handsome with his mask on had vanished. Now replaced with the monster on the exterior he had long since masked._

_His mind screamed at him to leave and he did in fact start for the door. Things are not easily put at rest though, and even with him in the room was when he heard the rumors being conjured up and the nasty words said about him. He couldn't even hear Christine or Raoul above the roar of the noise: all about him and his distortion. They said they had called to him, but he had not heard. His heartbeat was in his ears, emotions swimming through his head and he knew he would be sick. _

_Dorm building C was soon far behind him and he doubled over on the ground as realization sunk in. He was alone then. Alone, and revealed. He had never even thought to grab his mask, and the cold air attacked his face with a stinging fury. The constant time of wearing his mask had rubbed his face raw and made the skin blistered under his eye and around his forehead. Everyone knew what he was now. A freak. To think he had just been a recluse, semi-outcast before. Now he was demoted lower then that. Lower than Bouquet's level even!_

_The beer came up and he was glad he hadn't bothered to sit up or else he would have gotten sick over himself. Why him? Why was it always him? Could he never win, or be happy and accepted everywhere he went?_

* * *

"Erik?"asked after noticing his friend's silence. "You seem distant. ." Raoul knew why, but perhaps it was better to hear Erik say it for himself. "Anything I can do?" 

Erik looked over to his friend and shook his head, that was when he first realized his feet had sub-consciously led him back to their dorm room. "No. . just, be happy, alright?" he didn't want to ruin anything that might have been eased in the past few hours.

It was reality. Nothing could change. He could not stop Christine from perusing her dreams which he was not a part of after she boarded her plane. He would not be in Raoul's way either. He. . would just be alone.

"I'll be alright."

* * *

_Erik shivered and sat up, he had been emptying his stomach so harshly to the point of creating tears which rolled down his cheeks. He was scarcely aware of the hand that was placed on his shoulder and then wrapping under his arm to begin to tug him to his feet. He slowly looked up, and there was Christine, his mask in her free hand._

"_R-raoul stayed behind. . trying to get them all to just. . shut up. ." she spoke, having a hard time wording around what had happened._

_But they both knew what had happened. It was over and Erik's life would be hell for the next two years. People hated what they feared or disliked. He fell into both categories._

"_Let's go get you back to your dorm. . I'll stay with you until Raoul gets back, ok?"_

_Erik could only nod, and he knew all the more. . he loved her. Loved her not as a brother, not as a friend. But he wanted to love her as a lover would. In every single way._

* * *

Erik sighed as he tugged off his shirt and let it fall lazily on to a half packed suitcase. He would make the best of what he could, and who knew? Things could always turn out for the better. 

"Raoul?"

"E–yeah?"

"Your fiancé, you said you knew her when you were younger?"

Raoul nodded, "Since I was three. Then I wrote back and forth to her."

"How do you know you are in love with her, even if you just only write to her?"

"It's just a feeling, Erik. There is no way to describe love. But just the way she writes her words on the paper. . it convinces me. And when I see her in person. . it's a euphoria that takes control of me and makes me forget about everything but her."

"That's how you know?"

"That's how I know." Raoul replied with a smile, "You will know when you meet the one you love."

Erik nodded and threw himself heavily on the bed, "Like I'll have a chance with any woman in the world." his hand reached up and tapped his mask before rolling on to his side, turning off his light.

"You will see, Erik. There is someone out there for everyone. You have more of a chance then you think. Some people aren't shallow." another light flicked out leaving the room in darkness, shadows casting everywhere.

Erik sighed and nodded more to himself, "Good night."

"'Night."

* * *

"_Christine. . I'd rather you stayed the whole night." Erik whispered as they slowly made their way back to his dorm. Christine looked down at Erik and brushed his damp bangs out of his face._

"_Alright."_

_Her touch lit a fire to his body, and a sense of drugging euphoria came over him. It eased some of the night's events and he was able to carry himself a bit better._

_This was love._

* * *

**Ending Note: Ok, short, but it revealed a bit more about Erik's past and how he came from friend situation with Christine to loving her. Hope you like it. **

**Merry Christmas, Kwanza, whatever holiday you celebrate etc. etc. Reviews would make an excellent Christmas present for me hint hint**

**Expect more writings from me after the holidays.**

**TheDragonEye**


	4. Learn to be Lonely

**Author note: **

**Reviewer Phantomgirl7338**

**Please, reviews tell me what I'm doing right or wrong. I learn from them -puppy eyes-**

**I'm sure most of you skip over this part anyways. So I'll stop wasting my typing energy.**

**TheDragonEye**

* * *

**Learn to be Lonely**

Erik sat alone on the edge of campus, a few books and papers spread out about him on the grassy hill. Many were held down by rocks or shoved in books to prevent the light pieces of paper from being blown away in the light breeze. Though he had already gotten a bachelors degree and the school semester was ended he remained at the school. Same with a few other students who had no homes to go to, or while they had a summer job, or if they just felt like sticking about for campus parties.

Erik stayed there for there was no where else to go yet. However, he stayed because it was a place of memories, the good and the bad, but mainly because all these memories included Christine and Raoul and himself. It had been a month since they left, right now nearing the end of June and Erik had been miserable ever since they both left him. But they had lives they could be living and probably were living right at the moment while he poured over old music books and wrote out a tune which kept playing over and over in his mind.

It always started slow, a mourning sense and by three minutes into it the music had picked up and grew to play in harsh tunes, but ones that were surprisingly easy on the ears. It whirled around like 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' but was no where near as light in notes and so airy a sound. Faster, faster, the music taking him far away- removing his own conscience mind from his body. All that remained was the music in his mind. The guilt and regret of letting them leave without words he had thought up to be better now had swarmed in his brain.

Raoul's words of what love was continued to linger whenever he went back to their old dorm room, and he remembered the time spent there. It was always hard to loose a friend, but Erik still felt as though he owed a debt to Raoul. Raoul always defended him, always had his back in situations. Now he was off with his fiancé and he was sitting here missing him and being jealous of the lives his friends were probably living at the moment. He, on the other hand, was a man with nothing more then a Bachelor's degree, next to no money, and a distortion that would prevent him from ever living out a life he could have lived without it.

The masked man gave a sigh and stood up, collecting his things and shoving them in a worn bag which he slung over his back as he headed back towards campus. A newer tune was playing in his head and his fingers were itching for the reassuring feel of the ivory keys of a piano beneath them. So to the music hall he headed. Of course there wasn't a soul inside, probably because the doors had been locked, but they didn't prove to be much of a task for him. He had made certain to get a forged copy of the keys needed for this building.

More than once he had gotten caught, but by now the administrators knew he never caused harm. Oh how long it had taken to work up their trust. Silently, Erik slipped inside the long familiar building. Suddenly a world of hurt hit him, instantly dampening his already sullen mood. He remembered a time when he used to bring Christine into this hall and play for her a new composition or have them both sing. Once in a while Raoul would have come along and it would have been a trio of singers. Erik smiled when Raoul had claimed to be a Baritone when it was so easy to tell that he was a tenor just as himself. He always did have a good voice even if he claimed not to.

Erik found the room he had been looking for and he sat down on the piano bench after he unlocked the door and set his bag by the door. His fingers took their positions on the instrument and began to play. It was a light song, one that really wasn't so sad, but it was slow. One of those songs where one couldn't really tell the mood of it but it was pleasant on the ears. Maybe it was how he felt whenever he thought of Christine. . .

* * *

_Raoul was gone, he had left a week before for Italy to meet with his family and soon to be wife. Now it was the day of Christine's departure and neither of them could hide their sorrow. Erik had taken Christine one last time to the music room, sitting down on the piano bench as she stood behind him._

"_What would you like to hear, Christine?" he asked as he looked up at her._

_She placed a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever you wish to play, Erik; you know I will enjoy it either way."_

_With a nod of his head Erik began to play._ _It was a light song, one that really wasn't so sad, but it was slow. One of those songs where one couldn't really tell the mood of it but it was pleasant on the ears. . ._

* * *

Erik jumped from his flashback when a hand was lain on his shoulders and he whirled around on his spot, nearly sending the piano bench to the floor. 

"May I help you?" he asked as he regained his composure. Standing there was someone he would have rather not seen. It was Carlotta- Piangi's ex-girlfriend. He would have thought that she would have left campus by now and gone back home until the next semester. Even the look of her made his blood boil for her lips were drawn in a sneer and he repeated his question once more with a waning patience for the woman.

The red head clucked her tongue at him and shook her head, "Now-a, that's not-a very polite, 'tis it? But I can see why-a you're so sour." How he hated how she had to add a 'a' to almost all of her words but he grit his teeth and continued to glare at her.

"I-a came here to return-a something you left behind." She waved a piece of paper in front of his face, one of the compositions he had been working on earlier.

"How kind of you." He grumbled and made a grab for it but she snapped it from his reach and she shook her head.

"I-a came here to return-a it to you, but perhaps I have-a reconsidered. Maybe where this belongs is-a feeding a fire." She smirked at Erik's cross of emotions, his scowl flickering as it faltered for a moment. "Why do you-a care what happens to it? Soon it becomes forgotten that you-a ever wrote it. The same-a happens with people."

Erik who had been moving and pushing the bench back in and closing the piano top paused. "What do you mean by that?" he asked and turned to look at her.

Carlotta grinned; good she had gotten his attention. "You-a know exactly what I-a mean. I mean-a, Piangi left me, but I still have-a friends. You, on zee other hand, don't have anyone." She shook the paper in front of him, "No, one but you're music."

Oh she was good, but not so good at teasing to get him angry and bothered by it and his arm shot out, grabbing it before she even could tell what had happened.

"Playground bullying will not get to me. It is sad that you do have no friends and nothing to do but to come here and bother me." He replied, coldly. He couldn't help but smirk at the way she flinched and without another word she shrugged and left the room. Well, at least she had left quickly.

Erik looked down at the piece of paper he had just gotten back and frowned. She had taken and written all over it, making sure that it obscured the notes he had written. Then, there were some writing which was not hers and he swiftly looked up towards his bag which was gone.

Oh, that was the last straw.

* * *

Erik walked across campus about an hour later, heading towards his dormitory with his bag over his shoulder and his fist and face pulsating in pain. Oh well, Carlotta and Joseph had gotten what was coming to them. Joseph got the hell beat out of him and well. . Carlotta wouldn't have a fuck partner after where his damage had been to Bouquet. It was a grim victory, for he was alone to celebrate it. 

But with that fight that had occurred maybe it was best to leave campus before he was thrown out without his dignity. He would go, pack his things and head down to the main building, hand in his keys and payment for as much as he could and go. Where? Who knew? He would start his own life, on his own if need be. He just wished he didn't have to be alone. He wished his friends were here. He wished he had told Christine how he truly felt, for when two hearts race as one, both win. Maybe hers had been racing just as his on that last day. Erik cast a glance towards the west and gave a soft sigh.

"The perfect end to a day like this. A mosaic of colors, fading into the slate of darkness in an end of one life."

He opened the door to his lonely dormitory and cast one glance over his shoulder once more.

"And the beginning of another. The beginning of one life."

* * *

**Ending note: Yeah, it's a bit shorter and it took a while but I really haven't been so inspired to write with the lack of replies to the story. The hits on the other hand. . . oh well, just reviews will be much accepted and praised.**

**-TheDragonEye **


	5. The Beginning of a New

**Beginning note: Oh wow. . . THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS. Heh**

**Thanks to:**

**Lady Wen**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**Phantomgirl7338**

**On with the chapter!**

**-TheDragonEye**

* * *

**The Beginning of a New**

**London, England: London's Performing Theater of the Arts**

**22 months later**

The audience was pin drop quiet as the final chord of a well sang harmony rang out, echoing of the walls of the glorious theater. Then the note slowly died away and the music from the orchestra faded off to one single violin which wailed in a sad, high pitched note. One person began to clap, then four others, then the entire audience erupted into applause and there was even a standing ovation when curtain call came. That was the end of London's newest opera- _'Nirvana'_.

"It was a hit! It was a hit! Who would have thought we would see something like that from a novice!" one pudgy man exclaimed in the foyer of the theater about a half an hour later.

"Yes, yes, a hit! This was just opening night! Oh the reviews there will be in the paper tomorrow." grinned another.

"Look! There's the man now! Mr. Destler! Mr. Destler!" the pudgy man called out to the dark clad man, staring up at a poster advertising the musical just performed.

The masked man turned only to have his arm seized and shaken quite quickly and quite roughly, his entire arm shaking all the way up to his shoulder. It wouldn't have been too awful had it not been for five other men shaking it the same way. All offering words of compliments while doing so.

"We're glad we found you first, Mr. Destler!" the pudgy man called Grover spoke once more.

"Please, just Erik, my good sir. And thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"Well, it's a good thing Grover likes Heebus or else he would have never found you scrawling out notes while on your job at the grocers!" Chimed in Mattaus- Grover's skinny partner.

"I was merely glad he did not report me to management." Replied Erik which sent a good laugh through the gentlemen who had come to congratulate him. It seemed as though ever since his move, people had been more or less accepting of him. Not caring at all for his mask, it was just a part of him.

"Mr. Destler. . . Erik. . . I would never have done that. I may have an eye for Heebus, but talent is what my eyes are used to spot." Grover gave a hearty-laugh. "I haven't heard you voice in a while, why not give all these people here an extra special treat?"

Erik grew hesitant, "Now, Sir I really don't think these people-"

"Please, Erik, you know you want to." Mattaus spoke.

After a few rounds and wasted minutes of pestering, Erik finally gave way to their wishes, heading back into the auditorium and heading down the isles towards a piano that had been used for that evening's performance. As the man sat down he heard a rumble of voices from out in the foyer, more than likely due to Grover who was probably telling people in an over the top manner.

People entered, loud and excited, their voices echoing due to the rather great acoustics of the theater. But it just grew too noisy for the man and his fingers twitched and itched to play the ivory keys that were just bellow his gloved fingers. Erik would rather take a small, quiet audience over so many people who would not be quiet. Sure, when he started the piece he had selected from his memory, then the people would fall silent, but they would miss the first notes of the piece. For his music, you needed to hear every single note to enjoy it . . . to truly hear it.

Several 'shhh's rose from the audience as a few people finally got the hint of the matter and slowly Erik's eyes closed, waiting for these people to be done with their matters and for them to just be quiet. And in that short moment, Christine's face flashed in his mind.

Erik's eyes languidly opened. This song was for her. With that he did not care if the audience missed anything. The music was for Christine and his heart called out the emotions for this song to overpower anyone in the audience with such arrays and swirls of imagination.

The beginning of the piece began, with ease his hands playing the keys of the piano beneath them. His mouth opened and an indescribable voice parted out past his lips. The song had begun.

"_Every broken hearted fool_

_Who ever cried themselves to sleep_

_Should thank the god above tonight_

_For whoever made them weep._

_You see I envy every single tear_

_Every sob, every sigh,_

_Because the love you lost had these to once possessed_

_And the pain will fade in time._

_But love you never had is etched in stone forever_

_Reminding you of what might have been_

_The love you never had stays with you like a shadow_

_So close, but when you reach there's no one there!_

_Every heartsick little wretch who ever fell down on their knees_

_Should glorify each tearful night and utilize their misery_

_Because pain is proof that you're alive_

_And soon enough the healing starts_

_And through it all one truth is left behind:_

_Someone cared enough to break your heart_

_But the love you never had leaves you nothing more than empty_

_Dreaming only dark silent dreams_

_The love you never had will haunt you like a demon!_

_Staying with you till the day that you die_

_You ask why. Tell you why because_

_That's how it feels when you reach through the darkness each night  
and she never is there and she'll never be there  
You rationalize that it's all for the better this way-  
Love is never worth the price that you pay!  
But you know it's a lie!  
You rant and you rave at the God who made you this way  
As long as all your sins are pre-paid  
Why not raise a little hell on your way to the grave? _

Then you look in her eyes  
Remember why you still dream…

_The love you never had is etched in stone forever_

_Reminding you of what might have been_

_The love you never had stays with you like a shadow_

_So close, but when you reach there's no one there!_

_Never there . . . Never there . . ."_

The music that had kept the audience in a world of silence and captivation died away. No one stirring even as Erik stood up and left the piano- heading backstage and leaving the great room.

Finally, one person in the audience stirred, coming out of the cocoon of music. Five words pulling the entire room into much heated words and admiration.

"That man is a genius!"

* * *

That was how he wound up on a plane, heading across the ocean with a high class woman next to him. Her name was Jacquelyn Sabor and she had an eye for talent in the world. Who was to say she actually liked the people she found and brought back to her company, but this man had talent, and could be very beneficial to her own status.

Whether this man, Erik Destler, wished to be brought into the world of fame was not her concern at the moment. For this masked man had the voice of an angel and a face of a demon what a great seller huh?

The auburn haired woman turned to look at the masked man with steely blue eyes, watching with a bit of amusement as the man stared out the window, his fingers playing an unseen instrument on his lap.

"Mr. Destler?" she asked sweetly.

But Erik was lost in his own world; he had left Europe, the only place he had ever known to be a home. He could have made a living there, he _had_ been making a living. But this woman promised that his musical could be translated and heard around the world. If that happened then Christine could see his name, Raoul would see his name. He could finally prove his worth.

"Mr. Destler!"

Erik blinked a few times and looked at the woman who had promised him these things.

"What is it?" he asked.

Jacquelyn sighed through her nose, clearly this man had never flew first class before. She pressed a shot into his hand that a passing stewardess had just brought. "Live a little. Relax." She replied as she took a sip at her own a hidden smirk on her face. This man could be easily pleased, good . . . good. Things were always easier that way. For a man who was easy to please never asked for more than one or two things in life. Erik was easy to figure out- he wanted to be treated like everyone else and he wanted his talent recognized.

"It's not poisoned, you know." She added when he didn't drink the shot in his hand.

"I don't really drink without reason." He mumbled.

She raised one of her elegant eyebrows and shook her head, "A drink to your new future, drink to that." She spoke simply as she finished hers and pressed the call button for one more.

Erik stared hard at his glass and raised it to his lips, draining the glass. _A mosaic of colors. . ._

"Cheers." Jacquelyn smiled and put another in his hand.

* * *

**Ending note:**

**The song was called 'The Love you never had' and was from a Phantom Adaptation with Lyrics by Tom Alonso. Good music. . Hard to find.**

**See ya next time, and reviews are always wanted**

**TheDragonEye**


	6. The Love You Never Had

**Author note: Allo! Time for another chapter!**

**But my thanks to:**

**Nyasia A. Marie**

**Twinkle22**

**Triplethreatchic**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**I was soo happy when I saw the reviews and well. Thank you to those 4 who reviewed!**

**-TheDragonEye**

* * *

**The Love You Never Had**

"_Christine I. . ." _

"_Yes? Erik . . .?"_

_Oh that look she had given him with those perfect brown eyes of hers made him nearly choke on his own tongue. The past month had gone by so quickly, and now Christine would be leaving, leaving Paris, leaving France. Hell! She was leaving Europe, but to better herself. Oh if only. . if only he could speak words he had spent hours upon hours dwelling upon. Hours in which he taken words of love and put them into poem, and song, and to music. Words in which he had made so many adaptations so that incase he should forget he could say something else but mean the same thing. They all should have expressed three simple words: '_I love you'. _So he began._

"_I'll miss you . . . and. . . I never really was able to thank you. For so long ago and years past. You and Raoul. .you both were so very kind to me."_

"_Oh Erik stop, you'll make me cry." And it was true, he could already see tears brimming, much like she had been when it had come to say goodbye to Raoul. _

_He held out his arms and she entered his embrace, giving him a tight squeeze with her own smaller ones. He could feel her face to his chest and his own eyes closed. He needed to say it now. NOW!_

"_Christine I-"_

"_**Flight 409 is now loading, please step up and have your tickets ready."**_

_Christine gave a small sniffle but managed a smile. "That's me." She said weakly and she gave him two kisses, one on each kiss before she moved away from his arms and picked up the carry-on bag at her feet, slipping it over her shoulder. "I'll write." She smiled once more and gave his hand a faint squeeze when he nodded._

"_Good bye, Christine."_

"_Good bye, Erik."_

_Then she was gone, walking away and he was standing there too overwhelmed in unreadable emotions to utter anything more._

* * *

Erik gave a nearly inaudible groan as he stirred, his head pounding which was resting on a well placed pillow. A dim yellow light shinning next to him where Jacquelyn sat, reading a book by the light. Then it all came back to him. He was sitting on a plane, heading to New York City. He sat up a bit more and groaned as a headache came back to him as well.

Jacquelyn looked up from her book and at the man who had just woken up next to her. "I take it you're not a big drinker. I'll have to remember that. No more than three shots on a plane." She rolled her eyes to herself, wondering how this man was going to survive in New York. Sure, he did not need to be an alcoholic. But in such a life which involves the lime light there was more than one time in which celebratory drinks were handed out. It'd be rude to refuse often just because of his tolerance. That would change; a lot would change about that man even if he didn't come to realize it yet.

"They were strong." Erik grumbled in reply, more so out of embarrassment.

"Quite." Replied the woman, looking back down at her book once more.

The man's face grew flushed and heated under his mask. The woman was taunting him. He just knew it! Erik cleared his throat, "Anything interesting?" he asked motioning a hand towards the book in her hand.

She gave a huff and shut the book. "Not particularly, but I needed something to keep my mind occupied. I'm used to be constantly doing something in the city."

A awkward silence fell between them for a few moments before Erik spoke:

"Is it true? What they say about New York city? It might not be as crowded as Japan, but when you are meeting someone according to plans that it is impossible to find them without calling them? Even if you plan the destination before and tha-"

"That you can always find the person you least expected on the streets? Yes, I suppose some do say that. Love sick couples and long lost friends wandering about Central Park. We all know it's just coincidence, why? Looking for someone? Another person in your profession? I daresay you must have already forgotten why I am sitting here." She shook her head feebly.

"No. I was just trying to clarify some of the sayings and myths." He lied, hastily trying to assure her. He was coming to New York for a job and Jacquelyn had been kind enough to offer the chance to do that. He must not screw this one up. The world never offered chances like this, not for this man at least.

But Jacquelyn was no fool and had seen many a better liars than him. "Who is she?"

"No, th- . . it's two people actually." He might as well tell the truth. "Two very good friends of mine. One I believe might be in the city with what she wanted to do with her life, well she headed to America nearly two years ago. The other I know will not be there, but if Broadway is as big and famous as people say- would he hear about me in Italy?"

Jacquelyn drummed her fingers together through his explanation, slightly unnerving Erik at her quiet and her unreadable expression. "Have you heard of Idina Menzel? Michael Crawford?" Erik nodded his head twice. "Both debuted on Broadway." Jacquelyn continued. "Many writers you don't hear about, but people read quite often. Broadway hits like _The Phantom of the Opera _or _Wicked _or _Les Miserables _are then taken in by the public, many become obsessed until they know everything about them. I do not think your friends are people like that. But if they are into musicals then I am sure they would happen to look at a flyer and see your name on it somewhere for _Nirvana_ but let's not be hasty. There are many things needed to be done before a show gets to Broadway."

Erik nodded, no, Raoul wasn't like that and from what he knew- Christine never took obsession with anything, besides the once in a while Kodak frenzy.

"Now, what did you say your majors were again? Now that you're awake I might as well pester you about a few things. My book was going no where."

"My major was of course Music, I had a minor in architecture."

"Why architecture? Where does that come in with your Music? I am surprised you did not say an acting degree. It seems as though that is the only combinations people have now a days. I have to say yours is. . . unique."

"Thank you." Though he wasn't sure if he had supposed to take it as a compliment. "I do design, it had been more of a enjoyment, until someone found some of my drawings. I have to say I was dragged into it, not so much of an enjoyment, but a perfections. Every angle, every curve- all have to be perfect in a building, all of them fitting together just to make one final, astounding structure." He murmured. "It was frustrating, but I could always turn to my music. The man at the college who taught those architecture classes was a perfectionist, so was I and as you can imagine: we did not see eye to eye."

Jacquelyn gave a small 'Ah' and remained silent, having a hunch he was not finished and she was somewhat correct.

When she didn't speak Erik thought she had wanted him to continue. "I had thought it was because our ideas clashed and when the man threatened to fail me I found out his true reasoning. '_It's your face! Everyday I teach and it's always a black mass, staring at me, challenging me. No, now if you do not leave I will report you to the dean!' _that had been his reply when I lagged behind and asked him. So, if there is any reason you are helping me to try and expand my musical overseas just because my mask would attract people or advertise it as something strange. . just take heed. I will not tolerate it."

Jacquelyn couldn't help but show a look of shock. To think, a few hours before she thought she had this man completely figured out. Now this. The intelligent woman caught her expression and turned it into a half smirked look of glee. "Mr. Destler. I am a very sought after agent. Now if I had wanted to find someone to make fun of I'd go to the circus. Now don't you worry about it. We'll both prove ourselves to one another soon. Soon enough any ways."

Erik shook his head a few times, "I'm sorry, that was very much out of line for me to say."

Now Jacquelyn felt as though she was being toyed with. This man was very difficult to understand. A true musical genius right? She was making a pact here and now. All men were easy to unravel, Erik would be no different. Why did he pique her interest so much? He was different, that was why. No only physically, but his mind was a lot more complicated then other men. Other men had one thing on their mind and she found it rather revolting.

Cultured- that was one thing she could say about him now from just speaking to him now. He was very closed off, to himself, but his voice had changed when he spoke of his friends. They must be pretty close to him, but if they were how was it that he did not know their exact locations? Poor man, he wouldn't be surprised if the friends he spoke of had just toyed with him and then abandoned him when the fun was over.

"You know Erik, if you tell me your friend's name, the one whom you think is in New York, I'm sure I could locate her for you." _For a small price _"And even if she's not in New York City I have a few more contacts who might be able to." _I wouldn't get your hopes up though._

Erik looked hesitant once more and Jacquelyn hid back her scowl. Yes, he was very reserved, very hard to talk to. But she was either way. "Come now Erik, we cannot establish even a good professional relationship if you keep this attitude. You'll like America. . fit right in to New York."

"Her name is Christine Daae. But Jacquelyn please, I-"

"**Good evening passengers, this is your pilot speaking. We shall be arriving in New York city in twenty minutes. Please remain seated with your seat belts on until we do so. Thank you and have a good evening."**

Daae. Why did that sound familiar? She shrugged it off, maybe it'd come around to her memory eventually. "New York City, Erik. I'm sure you're going to love it. A lot more crowded than London or Paris, and the air is definitely a lot ranker, but you'll grow used to it. Just don't go wandering about, alright? You get lost, you're screwed. Which reminds me- you need a cell phone, correct? Or at least something that will work over here. Locals don't do well in this business. You'll need a better package and perhaps an entire new phone."

Erik was sure that Jacquelyn had said more but he had slowly begun to tune out. New York City. He was almost there, he just hoped that Christine was.

* * *

**Ending note: Yes, yes I know everyone is like 'WTF mate! Where in the world is the EC-ness? Next chapter guys. . promise. .even if it has to be so much longer. Just review and I'll keep my promise and even throw in a quicker update. It's the weekend guys. . love it. I'm also working to update 'Life Debt' too for those who read it.**

**TheDragonEye**


	7. Who is that in the crowd?

**Author Note: Yay an update! And I am rather happy that I am now getting regular reviewers- they make me happy and are my muse!**

**My thank you(s) go to:**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**Nyasia A. Marie**

**Twinkle22**

**I am surprised I managed an update so quickly, especially with Life Debt too.**

**Enjoy the chapter! **

**TheDragonEye**

* * *

**Who is that in the crowd?**

Erik had been in London and he had been in Paris, but neither of those two popular cities even came close to the massive size of New York City! As soon as he and Jacquelyn had left the air port and he merely looked around he was completely lost. The buildings were huge, the amount of people were many, and Jacquelyn had been right- he nearly choked on the air here.

Jacquelyn seemed to notice his discomfort almost instantly and shook her head. "We'll make sure to go to Central Parks regularly, alright? But I do think that every one of my clients adapt rather easily to this atmosphere- even grow attached to it."

Her masked client continued to stare wide eyed at his surroundings and blinked a few times. He was very surprised that no one who passed did a double take to stare at his mask.

"Please see many a weird sights here in New York, you very much do not come close, Erik."

"I'm weird?" he asked, his voice on edge.

"No, of course not, you misinterpreted my words." The woman tried to reassure him. '_Although. . you are a bit different in a world of different'._ "Not many people go wandering about New York City in masks, besides on the occasional holiday like Mardi Gras. Now come, it's not far to the main building and I am sure you would at least like to see some sights- ever get lost though and call a cab and ask to go to the main _Spotlight_ building at 5013 Boarder side. Got it memorized?" she spoke and started walking, flipping open her cell phone.

"_Spotlight _5013 Boarder side." He echoed in response.

"Good boy." Jacquelyn smirked when he looked at her and did a double take, and dialed a number. "Zero? Yeah I'm here, swing by with a cab to get our luggage, me and Mr. Destler will be walking and do not need to lug our things with us. Yes. Good I'll give you five minutes. Oh, you're already here? Perfect, you're always so precise, yes. Oh yes, I can see you from here." She snapped her phone shut and watched as the skinny brunette male weaved his way past the bustle going in and out of the airport.

"Mr. Destler- Erik- this is Zero, one of my assistants at the building. Zero, Erik." She spoke as soon as the man had reached them. Both men looked over one another as soon as they shook hands, Zero for obvious reasons and Erik just so he wouldn't forget the face. If Zero was an assistant to Jacquelyn then he would obviously be seeing him again and around the building.

"Nice to meet you."

"Ditto."

The exchange of words between the two was rather quick and Zero broke gaze to pick up the bags at both their feet. "You'll be back soon, Ms. Sabor?" he asked her while trying to keep all the bags in his hands.

"Well, one never knows in a city like New York now do they? A trip down one street or two could take an hour. We'll just see, but I will be back at the building before three, at the most."

"Yes, Ms. Sabor." He nodded his head rather quickly- slightly long hair bouncing into his eyes before scurrying away to a waiting cab.

"Now, Erik, shall we continue?" she asked and without waiting she took him by the arm and into the awaiting city not knowing that today would be a bit more interesting then she could have ever imagined.

* * *

If Erik had thought the city had looked big from the steps of the air port, well then walking about the city he had shrunk ten-folds! Buildings towered over him as he walked, blocking out the sky from some views. Many a signs were advertising so many things that Erik could not recognize- he was suddenly thankful that he had taken English all through high school and college. Jacquelyn continued to point out different sights and they all interested him greatly due to his degree in architecture and on more than one occasion he was being tugged along by Jacquelyn who thought that they would not even make it back to the building until an hour after three.

"Now, Erik, are you hungry? We could get something to eat before we go back to the building if you would like." She offered. As if on cue Erik's stomach gave a dull rumble, having not eaten much since his departure in London and just the liquor on the plane. Erik nodded, "That would be good."

"Good, there's a restaurant just up ahead, we'll get some lunch and go to my office building."

"Sounds good." Erik replied simply after pulling his gaze away from another building whose windows had caught his interest as they reflected sunlight which also bounced off the gleaming metal of its structure.

The two of them wandered through the cloud- or more so Erik had been, trying to look at everything but follow Jacquelyn as well. He nearly ran into her as he walked and kept his attention on a street performer.

"It's right here, Erik."

"Oh, yes. .yes. . they have street performers back home as well." The word 'home' sounding as though someone had just removed a splinter from his side. What really was his home? Paris? London? Even he wasn't sure so he included it's entirety 'Europe'.

"I'm sure the food might taste a bit odd- people over in Europe have such rich tastes. I remember when I first tried cuisine over there. But anyways this building isn't much for your eyes to take in so the menu should-"

Erik hadn't heard all of her words, for he had began to tune out, his eyes remaining on the street performer. Not on the man himself, but on the young woman who had just bent down to place a dollar in the case. The young woman smiled up at the man and straightened up, swinging her back over her shoulder once more which gave Erik a good look at her face. No. . . it wasn't her. Another woman approached her and said a few things, making the both of them laugh as they walked away. Erik's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets as he watched them on the opposite side of the street- walking away. "Chri-"

"Erik, what are you staring at?" Jacquelyn moved to touch his shoulder but Erik bolted off, trying to weave his way through the bustle of the crowd as if trying to swim upstream, all the while trying to keep the two women in sight. He finally moved off the busy sidewalk- or more so was shoved off and into the street. He hardly saw the cab until it was bearing down on him- his eyes still gazing into the crowd- he had lost the two. But he could have sworn that. .

There was a blazing horn and Erik looked up at the approaching car. Suddenly a arm seized him around his upper arm and pulled him from the street with a "Easy there" Erik looked up at the man who had just pulled him from the street, holding him as if he weighed nothing- his feet were barely touching the ground.

"Running into the street isn't the best thing to do, mate. Stick to the sidewalk." The man chided before letting go of Erik.

Erik stared blankly at the other side of the street. "Thank you, Monsieur." He spoke, blankly.

"Monsieur? You don't really hear that much around here. .nah, Chris. And your name? I'd like to know.'

"Err. . Erik."

"Ah, well Erik- stay out of the streets." He began to walk away when Jacquelyn finally caught up to them both. Her hand reached out and snatched the man's hand, twisting it painfully and Erik's wallet dropped to the ground. Chris scowled at her and darted off as she picked up the black leather case.

"Pick pockets and a close run in with a cab. Sheesh, Erik. Do you not worry about such things back home? Erik? Erik! God. . . why must all genius' be so difficult?" she shook her head and ran after the man once more who was running away again.

Erik finally stopped when he couldn't take trying to run through crowded sidewalks and sat down heavily on the steps of a building. It had been her! He knew it had been her! He. . just. . was too slow again. He couldn't reach her fast enough, he couldn't call her name or speak the words he wanted to.

"My god, Mr. Destler. . if you wanted to see the building we could have walked." Jacquelyn spoke, who had just caught up and threw his wallet into his lap through her frustration.

"Wha?" he looked up at her and then looked up at the building and then at the address- 5013.

"Are you sure you've never been in New York before? Or do you just have a good sense when it comes to directions and guessing?" she helped him back to his feet. "Come, it's better on the inside then it is the outside."

The two of them headed inside- Erik giving a longing look over his shoulder before the perfectly clean windowed doors shut behind him. On the inside it was white- very shiny marbled floors squeaky clean, a few logos and names breaking the white and giving it a elegant flair to it. A very prestigious building indeed.

It sort of reminded him of _Beauty and the Beast_ except everyone inside was not singing 'Bonjour' but was saying 'hello' and 'good day' and 'good to see you again, Ms. Sabor'. Over and over he heard such things as Jacquelyn and him made their way through the building and to the elevators. She would lazily point out places like a person who had given this far too many times to even care anymore. It would have made him nervous if he had truly been paying attention, but he was too busy thinking about what he saw out on the streets. He knew it had been Christine! She. . looked so different, but he knew it had been her! But, where had she disappeared off to?

As soon as they got to a floor that Jacquelyn liked they both stepped out and the elevator snapped shut behind them. The sight could only be considered to be a office building you see in all the movies. Many cubicles, computers, and laughing people.

"This is where we sort through portfolios, reserve flights, search openings for auditions. Really where a lot of the main work goes on." Jacquelyn spoke in a matter-of-factly tone, smiling up at Erik as he looked about. "And yes, there are quite a few people needing to work on this level. My own office is up a few flights with my partner. You'll meet him eventually- sadly he just left this morning, it was planned out so that the both of us would not be missing from the building simultaneously."

"Close partners?" Erik asked, "I take it you're both not married?" he asked.

"How could you tell?" Jacquelyn asked.

"Your voice of him is a bit more respectful then it is loving as people speak of their husbands or wives. Don't get me wrong, I can just-"

She waved her hand. "No, I understand. No, we aren't married but we have grown to be good friends. Now come, Zero must be back by now." She led him through the area, heading a few more laughs and a few corny jokes told, then came the rounds of 'hellos', 'good afternoons' and 'good to see you again, Ms. Sabor'.

"Ah, Zero there you are." Jacquelyn disappeared into one of the cubicles and was met with another round of hellos meaning more than one person was inside.

Erik wasn't sure if he was just supposed to wait or not but he took a few steps back to that he could look inside and not look as though he was spying. Inside was indeed Zero and another woman whose cubicle it had to have been. The man's arms wrapped around another young woman as soon as Jacquelyn left, she must have said something about him for she headed back his way, but Erik was still looking at Zero and the other woman who stuck her tongue out at Jacquelyn as soon as she left and all three of them gave a few laughs, Zero giving her a kiss on the cheek before tickling her stomach sending her in another round of laughter.

"Zero is just goofing off, our stuff is up in my office. Oh and that's Mrs. Allegan- she found your musical in Paris and was the one who proposed it to me. Then again I didn't expect to come back with another person. The other woman I do believe is Zero's girlfriend- they sure act it. She comes here to look for auditions." Jacquelyn shrugged. "Let's go, alright?" she asked and once more turned to lead him away but he stayed rooted on the spot. "Erik? Are you alright?" she waved her hand in front of his face and he didn't blink. His face had gone a bit pale and was blank.

Slowly his lips started to curl into a twitching smile as if it was unsure to stay on his face or not.

"Christine. . .Christine Daae?" he spoke and the young woman looked up, her eyes going wide.

"Erik!?"

* * *

**Ending note: Hah, I told you!**

**Hopefully I'll get more reviewers who have been lurking and reading. Please? P-please? Review? –puppy eyes-**

**See ya all next chapter**

**TheDragonEye**


	8. Seeking Help

**Author note: Well. . guess it's time for an update. Sorry people, blame school. 7 hours of creative draining boredom. Oh, and I just got over a really big emotional gap in my life so I'm in a really, really good mood!**

**Reviewers:**

**Twinkle22**

**Nyasia A. Maire**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**Lady Wen**

**Gracias**

**TheDragonEye**

* * *

**Seeking Help**

Erik groaned, massaging his temples as the annoying ringing of the phone resounded in his ear. Eventually he heard the operator on the other end and he told her exactly where he wanted the phone call to be transferred- Italy.

There was more of that annoying ringing and Erik felt as if he should just take the phone and whip it to the other side of the hotel room. Perhaps it would work too, had the phone not been attached to a coiling, plastic wire. So he just had to sit there, quite flustered and annoyed at himself. Especially after seeing Christine after so long- he just had to back out again, didn't he!?

"Raoul?!" he demanded as soon as he heard the line pick up and a 'hello?' be asked.

"Err, no. . this is his brother. ."

"Oh. . shit, I'm sorry Philippe. It's Erik. . Erik Destler, is Raoul around?" Erik asked, nearly smacking himself on the forehead.

"Yeah, he's about. . somewhere. . or not, who knows? Perhaps I stole his cell phone?"

Erik clenched his teeth together- this was the reason why he hated Philippe. He was too different from his brother and never really liked or got along so much as Raoul did with Erik.

"I DIDN'NT DIAL HIS CELL PHONE! NOW GIVE HIM THE PHONE!"

"Erik, please don't yell in my ear." It was a new voice, a different one.

Erik scowled, another black mark against Philippe in his book. "Sorry, buddy. Your brother was being a ass hole."

"So I've heard, it's nice to hear from you. Now, what's up?" It was easy to tell that Erik wouldn't have the time to call unless it was something really important. From what he had last heard from Erik- he had been busy in his musical in London for a while and then left.

"I. . . I blew it again!"

Raoul merely looked at the phone strangely before replying. "Elaborate on that, Erik. What happened?"

Erik sighed and closed his eyes before beginning his story.

* * *

"_Christine? Christine Daae?"_

"_Erik?!"_

_Christine turned to look at him and her entire face seemed to cross so many emotions until it just completely lit up- probably more than all the lights in New York City combined into one. _

"_Oh my god. . Erik!" She instantly leapt from where she was sitting and in a matter of milliseconds her arms were wrapped tightly about his chest, nearly squeezing the life from him. And his arms were around her- probably succeeding in squeezing the life from her._

"_It's good to see you again!" Erik grinned._

"_Likewise." Her voice slightly squeaky and airy. Erik instantly loosened his grip around her and she smiled toothily up at him anyway. "I never thought I'd see you here. I mean. .when I heard that Ms. Sabor had a new client from Jack, I never thought it would be you! I thought you were in England! I read all about that!"_

"_You did?" Erik couldn't believe it. So he had been heard from many parts of the world, and Christine had seen. "Well, yes, it's me. And whoever that Jack is must not have described me well to you."_

_Zero cleared his throat behind them both, "As much as I hate to interrupt this. . I'm Jack. You didn't really think my real name was Zero did you? It's just a system Ms. Sabor set up by-" he frowned and scowled when either of the two didn't make any sign that they had heard them._

"_You brought '_Nirvana_' here?! Oh wonderful! I've wanted to see it!"_

"_Well I brought the musical script with me. It'll take a while to get rehearsals and casting and everything put together, Christine."_

"_I don't care." She stuck out her tongue. "I'd wait fifty years to see it. . but it probably won't take that long anyhow."_

"_Only fifty?" They both laughed. Erik truly never realized how much he had missed the sound until it came past her lips. "Maybe you could manage a audition?" Erik suggested and Christine nodded._

"_I'll keep it in mind." She replied with yet another nod of her head._

_Erik could nearly feel his heart pounding in his chest, _'Now, NOW!'_ he willed himself. "Christine, look, there has been something I've been meaning to-"_

"_To do? What Erik? Oh, whatever it is we should surly talk about it some time, but right now I can see Ms. Sabor tapping her foot near the corner of the room. We'll have to do something when you're not busy. I was just about to step out with Amy- or Mrs. Allegan as Jacquelyn introduced her as- again. We actually only just stopped by." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'll find out where you're staying and swing by later, alright?"_

_Erik nodded numbly, so it had been them he had seen on the street. "Yeah. . I'll see you later." He called after her as he watched both of them begin away. Christine gave a wave to him before disappearing past the door he had just entered through not too long ago._

"_Now. If you please Mr. Destler. We have things to do." Jacquelyn spoke._

"_Yes. . of course." He replied quietly, a thousand thoughts obscuring his attention._

* * *

"I keep letting her walk away!" he exclaimed into the phone once he was done with the story and slumped down once more onto the bed in his hotel room. "Why?! Why am I so afraid to say anything?!"

Raoul, who had remained silent all throughout Erik's story gave a small sigh. "It's because you are afraid that she will not return anything. You're afraid that you'll always be considered a friend or even a brother in her eyes. But that's because you won't get your sorry ass up and say anything. How can she know if you don't say anything?!" he asked.

Erik was silent a minute before he asked, "Would it be too much trouble to come out here sometime? I mean. . like old times, and possibly some moral support?"

"It's not too much to ask, just a bit too much money Erik. Chip in half- and I know you have the money, and you have a deal." Raoul grinned. "I'll pay you back someday."

"Fine, fine. . deal!" Erik replied.

"**ALL RIGHT! VACATION!" **

"Philippe! GET OFF THE OTHER LINE!" Both men hollered into their phones.

"**But you two honestly wouldn't think of leaving me out of the picture would you? I mean, I'd love to see New York and I could help ickle Erik out with his love problems, and other problems. Sheesh you're one insecure man, you remind me of this one chick I used to know, except she wasn't ugly and she-"**

Erik looked up as a knock came from the door. "Raoul, I have to go, call me back sometime soon, alright? Bye!" he hung up the phone. Damn Philippe. The last thing he wanted was for him to manage to tag along on the plane.

He gave a groan and shook his head. "Coming!" he called as another knock came from the door. Now was some time to see if he could manage this on his own without Raoul.

* * *

**Ending Note:**

**YAY. . .shorter. . but yay! None the less. Raoul and Philippe coming into the picture is a reason to be happy right?**

**Review people! Gracias por leyenda! (ugh. . my Spanish skills are awful)**

**TheDragonEye**


	9. The Things You Never Told Me

**Author note: A thank-you go out to:**

**Twinkle22**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**Nyasia A. Maire**

**Lady Wen**

**Timeflies**

**Gracias muchas por reviewing(still is bad at Spanish). I'm really glad for those who review! Sorry for slow updates. AP Euro exam in. . . 2 weeks! Eeeeeek! Yeah, I'm blaming school a lot. But to any of those who take AP classes then you understand. . right?**

**And this chapter entitles more of Erik's past and is based off an impeccably difficult song to find from a Phantom adaptation (even if you search it, it will not come up that's how difficult it is to find), so here you go.**

**TheDragonEye**

* * *

**The Things You Never Told Me**

"Good evening, Christine!" Erik gave a smile as he opened the door for the young woman. She gave him a small peck on the cheek and gave a similar greeting before entering his apartment when she gave a low whistle.

"I take it you're paying for only the best?" she asked as she looked about. "Your musical must be a real success for you to afford it. To think, we were all a bit struggling back in college just to make it through, maybe not Raoul, but it's possible with his parents trying to pay for both siblings. Hah, look at me, I've rambled off and you have only gotten to say two words while. .erm never mind. How are you today since this early afternoon, Erik?" she asked, a grinning smile never leaving her face.

"I'm good Christine. It's still is good to see you again, I dear hope you can help me out as to where we should go out tonight. I fear I do not know my way about New York City. Ask me about London though and I can navigate it. But, yes, _Nirvana_ was indeed a success over there. I only hope for the same achievement here."

Christine merely shrugged, "I do think I can figure out somewhere to go. Don't get your hopes up though." She spoke and laughed when Erik gave a puzzled look and he understood she was merely joking. Her tone had almost made it seem like she was being serious.

"So. . we'll be off?" Erik asked and Christine nodded, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the door.

"I do hope you learned to dance in the time we've been apart." Christine replied, once more he grin flashing beautifully at him when her words finally sunk in.

"Uh. . yeah. .I think?" he asked and shook his head before following after her, the door to his hotel room being pulled shut with a click. "Actually, you might be surprised." He spoke with a knowing smirk, "Or you might be rather disappointed."

Christine's face reflected his before and she whacked his arm. "What ever happened to being creative?" she asked and he simply shrugged. "Not at the moment. Let's just go."

The place Christine chose was quite classy, but not, which made Erik assume that more happened there after ten and dinner hours then what met the eye. Very casual at the same time and Erik wondered if all places were like this and transformed when night fell. A bit different from Europe where most just had a distinct theme and feeling. Christine took a seat as she waited for their number to be called after reserving a table. The woman had said it would be about a fifteen minute wait and Erik could indeed wait that, it gave him time to talk to Christine after all and he took a seat next to her.

"Looks like a nice place." He commented, once more looking about and then towards the windows where he could see outside and into the streets.

"It is, and their food is to die for."

"I thought you were talking about dancing before." He replied as he turned back to look at her.

She rolled her eyes, "You cannot dance on an empty stomach, perhaps for you, you cannot dance either without a good drink in you. Plus, when was the last time you had a good meal?" she continued even when he opened his mouth to speak. "Honestly, Erik. I do believe there are many thin women who are jealous of your size. You're not anorexic are you?" she asked in jest and shook her head. "You work too much, I can just tell."

"Well it is a bit hard not to work a lot when you made this musical and play such a role in the producing it and all these legal rights and contracts and watching auditions and-"

"I get the point Erik, stop showing off." She laughed and grabbed his chin when he opened his mouth. "Stop, I know you all too well, no apologizing, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled, taking her hand and moving it away from his face. Sure, he didn't mind the relaxed and friendly atmosphere between the two of them. But it was just how two siblings would act towards one another, he was falling deeper into that category, wasn't he? He remembered back when she had put her hand gently under his chin to inspect the cuts and bruises on his face from the cruel children in school. It seemed like it had been a lot more care back then.

"Erik? Something wrong?" she waved a hand in front of his face. "You were staring and nothing."

The man blinked a few times and nodded, "I'm fine, just thinking about everything that happened today. I mean. .I never imagined to find you here and so quickly!" he forced a smile.

"Yes, well, I guess luck comes when it comes." She shrugged and stood up. "Come on, they called out number."

Erik followed after both Christine and the waiter and took the opposite side from Christine when they got to the table.

"Did you know this is one of Bobby Flay's restaurants?" Christine asked and Erik shook his head.

"Bobby Flay?"

"The owner of this restaurant, famous chef?" she asked and frowned when Erik still looked blank, "Iron chef? Throw downs? BBQ with Bobby Flay or Boy meets Grill? Ring any bells?" she asked and sighed when he once more shook his head. "You seriously need to watch T.V. I am suggesting you do." She smiled. "Maybe the food channel will make you eat a bit more."

"You sound like my mother. . .or what she should have sounded like. . ." he whispered and fell silent, gazing over the menu in front of him.

Christine did the same and placed her order with the waiter when he came back and left once more. She continued to hold her tongue until the waiter brought them both back the dinner wines they had ordered and disappeared once more. She knew it would be a bit until the food was ready so she spoke once more. "Erik, you and I have been friends for a long time. But, now that I think about it. . I've told you my past and family, Raoul has told you his, but you really have not said anything about the time before when I found you playing the piano alone."

Erik set down the glass of wine he had been sipping on, his lips tainted slightly red from it. Christine could almost see how visibly his expression changed, even from underneath his mask. His green-golden eyes darkened over into a almost forest green and his lips drew back as his fists clenched into hands on the table, one of them gripping the table itself before sliding down against his knee. Christine could only wonder what turmoil in his mind her words had caused. "Erik?" she whispered and reached across to lay her hand on his tense fist. "I'm sorry, I mean, if you don't want to talk about it. ."

Talk about it? Now, here? Why of all times was she beginning to question his past now? His lips drew into a scowl and he looked away from her, drawing his hand away from her gentle touch.

"Erik, please do say something. I'm sorry if I hurt you I'm sorry. But. . it's a . . like a brick wall. Me and Raoul, sure, we always are your friends, but it's impossible to know how you really feel, what you are always thinking. It's impossible to read you. I have always been worried about that. Even now look how you recede. Something wrong could be going on right now and you'd never tell, no one would ever know either. Especially if you are still hurting from something more that had happened back then."

So much for a nice night out. Erik drummed his fingers on his knee cap before once more it clutched into a fist and he looked back at her.

"My past is nothing to speak of, it's nothing to know of."

"I want to know. . Erik, please."

Once more Erik fell into a lapse of silence and glanced about the restaurant. He couldn't not tell her, especially since his feelings towards her. Maybe this was a barrier keeping her from loving him? "Not here!" he said in a gruff voice. He could not say anything out in a restaurant especially something so undisclosed as his past.

Christine couldn't hide her look of shock at his rough tone and knew she had hit a knot in Erik. Maybe if she had gone into psychology instead of music and acting as a major then she could better understand why he was acting so very defensive. He hadn't said anything more, and she wondered if he was still thinking about what she had said. He didn't let things go easy, did he?

When the waiter returned with the food the silence had lasted for about twenty minutes, Erik seemed to not be minding it, but Christine was squirming under the tension. See? It was impossible to read Erik's look now that he had dropped his gaze to his food and begun to eat. Christine half heartedly picked over her food, once in a while looking up towards Erik and giving a small smile, but he didn't look up so he wouldn't have seen her attempts to cheer him up.

Finally Christine pushed her plate away and shook her head, putting a hand to her forehead. But a voice pulled her from her thoughts that had almost made her begun to think that she had ruined there friendships.

"Christine. . there are too many things to say."

* * *

Erik slowly pushed open the door to his apartment and sat down on the bed after carelessly flinging off his coat and kicking off his shoes, leaving them where they landed. His back rested to the headboard and he winced at the change of light as Christine flipped on the light switch. 

"I never knew you to be messy." She remarked as she picked up his black jacket from off the floor.

"You haven't seen me in so long." He retorted simply. "I've picked up the habit of not caring from my job and I really don't care."

"Erik. . "

"Don't lecture me, Christine!"

She gave a faint nod and looked down at his jacket in her hands, carefully setting it down on the chair in the room. Christine slowly moved to sit down at the foot of the bed, staying far enough away but yet still close.

"You still want to know? Curiosity killed the cat, Christine." Erik sighed and rubbed the back of his head after giving it two thumps against the headboard behind himself.

"I want to know. I'm just hear to listen, Erik. You want to get this off your chest. It will be one less burden that you won't need, especially with all the work you'll be needing to do in New York."

Erik knew that she was right, and perhaps that was why he was so willingly thinking to give away the story of his past and after a bit he began to speak, after a bit of contemplating as to telling her all the truth or only a bit. All would be for the best, and she was right. He needed to talk about it. Hell, he hadn't even ever told Raoul about these things, but he loved Christine. Maybe it would be one more sign of his devotion towards her? He gave a small, saddened sigh before he began.

"Oh, Christine. . you don't want to know. No part of my life deserves to be called a childhood. No father to guide me, no children beside me. Affection denied me and that MASK!- . . to hide me from the world. . Imagine Christine, my own mother. . . each morning she placed it on my face, or forced me to; as routinely as tying my shoes. God only knows where she had them made for there was always a new one when I outgrew the last. Pity her, Christine. She couldn't bear to look at her own child. And yet there were times, always at night when sounds and feelings were all that mattered. We both spoke in whispers the moment so fragile afraid that somehow the stillness might shatter soon darkness scattered as streetlamps bellow shone through the trees by my window all night just enough light through a crack in the drapes made shadows appear in most curious shapes! Mother would point them out one by one, and one by one each fantasy was born. . ."

* * *

"_Erik what do you see? Whatever you want them to be they will be."_

"_I see a lion, a witch and a dragon, a knight on a horse, and a red gypsy wagon. Mother, what do you see? Whatever you want them to be they can be!" a pair of golden eyes skimmed the wall in front of him before turning to look at the woman in the room, trying not to appear phased as her gazed turned away and only turned back when he looked away again._

"_I see a child with a heart of gold, born into a world so shallow and cold. Where only the beautiful glorified, blind to a beauty that dwells inside. What twisted measure of human worth condemns a child at birth? My child. . my poor dear child. . darling, wish on a star and ride on a moonbeam. Fall asleep and dream your sweet dreams. Come what may at morning's light, the world is yours tonight."_

_With that the fragile, pale faced woman left her masked child alone to his shadowed room and darkness a lock clicking behind her as the door shut._

* * *

". . So I laid awake in a room full of shadows, watching them dance on the walls. Dreams became real in a room full of shadows, I could be anything. .anything at all!" Erik closed his eyes for a moment, as if he could hear a much younger, innocent, and naïve child he had once been speaking.

**------**

"_At times I'd become a clown in the circus leading the elephants through town. With a wave of my hand they would stand up and trumpet. The children all laughed as I fell to the ground. . "_

"Wishes came true in a room full of shadows. No dream was out of my reach, worlds to explore in a room full of shadows. I had my share of foes to defeat!" Erik continued, and then came the smaller voice from his past in his own mind and when he opened his eyes there was no one but a younger self gazing up at him, speaking to him.

"_One stormy night I was captain of a wailing ship riding it through a typhoon!"_

"Then I rescued a maiden captured by pirates!"

"_My shipmates all gasped."_

"And the maiden just swooned! I remember. And so what? She amused a child with shadow games of course to keep herself from feeling guilty about locking me away! It was something in the dark where she couldn't see me, always in the dark pretending not to be me. Only in the dark could we be free of what was really me!"

* * *

"_Erik? . . Erik?" _his mother called, a voice echoing through time, or. . wasn't it her?

* * *

"_I was that child in a room full of shadows, too busy dreaming to curse my fate. I learned to hope in a room full of shadows. . where did you learn to hate?_

"_I was loved."_

"It was only obligation!"

"_She protected me."_

"With total isolation!"

"_Sheltered me."_

"By masking imperfection!"

"_Gave me hope."_

"By masking her rejection!"

"_Protection!"_

"Isolation!"

"_Devotion!"_

"Obligation!"

"_Virtue!"_

"Impenitence!"

"_Caution!"_

"Indifference!"

"_A Mother's Love!"_

"**A Mother's guilt!" **

Back and forth Erik's mind wrestled with his younger self. Fighting what he wanted to believe and what he knew was reality.

"_I wanted to live."_

"Well look what you've lived for!"

"_I wanted to give!"_

"You'll give until there's no more"

"_Somehow or someway. ."_

"To young to have learned."

"_I never lost hope!"_

"But a child doesn't understand!"

"_BUT I DID UNDERSTAND! I. . did understand. . it is you, who no longer understands. This world is so cold, it is better to sob, but tender to none, any kindness that we receive is a blessing. And once every night in a room full of shadows is more then some ever receive. . "_

* * *

"Erik?"

* * *

"_When did you loose me?"_

_Then they both spoke to one another, both past and present._

"_When did we loose we?"_

"_Part of you remains in that room full of shadows."_

"Part of me remains in that room full of shadows."

"_Just reach out."_

"I'm trying."

"_I'm still there."_

"I'm trying!"

"_Just reach out, for her sake, find me one more time."_

_

* * *

_

Erik gave a weak groan and opened his eyes, squinting up and against the light to see Christine looking down at him, a worried look on her face before she pressed a wet cloth to his forehead. For a moment he nearly panicked, but stopped. Christine had seen him without his mask on before, there was no one else here either.

"Erik? Oh, good you're awake. You were just talking, and your voice got faster and tighter. . and you just. .fell! You hit your head on the way down. Are you alright?" she asked, biting her lip in her nervousness.

What had he said? Did she hear all of it? Had he been speaking the part for two? Did she think he was insane?! Oh his head was killing him and he slowly sat up, Christine's arm wrapping about him to help him up and support him. "I can only feel a bump, Erik. Please do say something."

_Find me one more time. . _

Erik turned his head and looked up at her, his paled golden green eyes gazing into her own brown ones.

"Christine. . I love you."

* * *

**Ending note:**

**Alright it was a long, and possibly confusing chapter for all of you. But the ending was clear enough, right? He finally told her. Personally I thought I managed to pull it off right. And to clear up anything. The italic then regular typing is Erik's younger self and himself in the present almost arguing in his. The child of his past oblivious and only thinking her to be the kind mother for he knew nothing else, and Erik now knowing better seeing how she was to him. A few italics are his mother as well, but I'm sure you all figured that one as well as when Christine is calling to him. I apologize now if it wasn't so clear as it was to me.**

**Review! And meh. . I think I need a beta. .**

**oh and for any of you who want to attempt to find the song that this chapter was based off of it is called 'A Room Full of Shadows' by Tom Alonso. Maybe those with limewire could locate it, but it was sent to me by a friend of a friend who found the soundtrack in a clarence bin in NYC.**

**TheDragonEye**


	10. The Things I’ll Never Hear

**Authors note: Guess who is updating to celebrate no more school for the summer? And guess who has decided to elect Friday to be writing spree day?**

**Thank you, thank you to reviewers:**

**Twinkle22**

**Timeflies**

**Erik'sTrueAngel**

**Skoteinos Metamfiezomai**

**Lady Wen**

**Nyasia A. Marie**

**This chapter is for you guys!**

* * *

**The Things I'll Never Hear**

"Christine I love you."

It took a moment for those words to really sink in. Four simple words and yet they couldn't really register correctly. Erik had fallen off the bed and landed hard on the ground, hell he had even knocked his head on the nightstand on the way down. And now he was saying this. .

"Erik. . I. ."

Christine thought her gut wrenched in two when she saw her friend look up at her, his eyes half opened but with all the hope in the world which could shatter with one small word. His face looked so relaxed like he had finally gotten the weight of the world off his shoulders as he was helped to slowly lay back down- his head in her lap; and Christine could not help but run her fingers tenderly through his hair, slicking his dark locks back and out of his relaxed face. His eyes languidly closed and he titled his head slightly, like a cat who finally got the attention of his owner to be shown a bit of attention.

In all honesty, Christine didn't know what to do.

For a few minutes she just stayed silent, her fingers gently threading themselves in Erik's hair. And after those few minutes, she stopped. Well, she had to say something, as much as Erik wasn't pushing her to say anything.

"Erik, there's something I-" she looked down at him, he had not opened his eyes. "Erik?" she asked again and put a hand to his chest. Feeling the steady heartbeat and the slight rise and fall of his breathing she knew he had fallen asleep.

"Oh Erik." She whispered sadly and turned to look away from his face. Her arm stretched out and she grabbed a pillow off the bed, folding it over on itself to slide under Erik's head which she had before rested on her lap. With the pillow under Erik's head she stood up and retrieved the blanket from the bed, covering her good friend with it.

Christine sat down on the bed, watching over Erik as he slept. How long had he been holding that in? Just like his past relations with his mother and his childhood. And she had not heard a lot to really cover how much pain he really had been dealing with. But, why had he never told her before? What held him back? It's not like she could drop everything she had made now and just to say yes. She had Jack. . .

"I'm sorry, Erik." She whispered and rose to her feet, walking a few paces before she turned back and looked at his sleeping form, her eyes to his back. "I'm sorry Erik, I'm. . I-" it was ridiculous, she could not even say anything and Erik was sleeping! What was she to do when he woke up?

"I have Jack."

Christine turned and headed into the bathroom that was a room off to the right of Erik's. She sighed as she ran some cold water and splashed her face. After a bit of that she just gazed at her reflection in the mirror, wondering what she was supposed to do to break it to him. At least, she could allow him one last moment of feeling good, and in sleep with the thoughts from before, it had to be a decent one. But, what Christine didn't know, was that back in the bedroom, Erik lay slumped on his side, his eyes opened and sullen.

So, that was what it felt like. To have hopes and to have them shot so abruptly down, and not even to his face! She had mumbled it to herself! It took a lot. **A lot. **Of self control to pretend as though he was still asleep, but it was hard.

When Christine came back into the room, she found Erik back in bed, his head tucked tightly in between two pillows and the blanket pulled up to his chin.

'Oh dear. Had he heard me?'

Christine slowly approached the bed, laying a hand on Erik's shoulder. She felt no response, but she knew he had to have been awake to move, unless he could do such things while trapped in sleep.

"Erik?" she whispered.

No response.

The bed shifted as she sat down next to him and she laid down, shifting over until she lay beside Erik. Her arms hesitantly reached out and wrapped themselves around him, but they soon tightened and she pressed her face into his back, breathing in his all too familiar scent. She remembered a time when she could run to Erik, and he would cradle her sadness away. How she wished he would open his eyes, turn and just reassure her that it was alright. But no, it was not her who must have been feeling down in the dumps, but Erik; who remained as unresponsive as ever.

"Erik, please. . a lot has changed." She whispered, "and. . you were always my very best friend, I still think that, so much like the brother I never h-" her mouth clamped shut. Brother was probably very far away from what Erik wanted to hear.

"Erik! Please say something!" Christine sat up and wrenched the pillow off his face and from under his limp arm. She couldn't help but gasp, half choked in her throat. Of course she had seen Erik without his mask on from time to time, but she had not been expecting it and. .well, it was startling when you weren't expecting it. She sighed and skimmed her hand along the bed before looking about, spotting his mask on the ground she bent and picked it up.

"We both. . wear masks." She whispered as her finger traced the side of it before he set it on the pillow next to his face. Or at least she meant to. More or less she dropped it in shock and looked away quickly.

After a few moments she looked back down at her friend, but he looked the same, nothing had changed. .

Christine swore though, that when she went and put down to mask that she had seen one blazingly sad eye gazing at her through the dark. Such a gut wrenching look that she just had to look away from it in her haste. Maybe she had simply imagined it though.

"I'll. .I'll check on you tomorrow, Erik." She whispered.

The woman took a few step towards the door, stopped, and took the few paces back towards the bed- closing the space between them both. Erik most certainly wouldn't like waking up without his mask up. Carefully she slipped it back on his face, but not without planting a weak kiss to his disfigured forehead.

"Good night, Erik."

Then she was gone.

"_Close your eyes. . don't say a word. Sleep is a rest. . from things unsure. . so dream your precious dreams and live how you want. Whatever you want. ._

_until morning."_

Until morning. Maybe it was all just a dream? Maybe he never spoke to Christine, maybe he never even saw her! Maybe he was still on the plane traveling to America or something of that sort?

Oh Christine.

* * *

Erik could feel himself being pulled from sleep, but his head was throbbing so much that he didn't even want to open his eyes to see if it was morning or not! Slowly one eye cracked open, and then the other only to find that. . it was still dark! He could feel the bed underneath himself and that was reassuring. Perhaps it all was a dream! He gave it a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, only they never did, not even in the slightest. Maybe it was because he was on his back and staring at a ceiling with nothing on it. But he didn't want to move. 

Well, tough luck for his raging skull. He needed to get up, get some Advil so he wouldn't be facing the problem of a headache when he went go to work- whatever Jacquelyn had planned for him, he didn't want a headache to be distracting him.

Erik gave a groan and move to sit up. He hadn't gotten half way up when he felt something cold and slimy wet sliding down his face. How could he have not felt anything before? He moved a bit more upright and the mystery thing continued to slide down his face. It took a moment to realize that it was a damp washcloth and that he had frightened himself for nothing. He gave a weak laugh to himself and went to remove it when something pushed him until he was flat on his back once more.

"What the hell?" the harder he pushed to sit up, the harder the other force pushed back.

"Mr. Destler, if you would wish for me to refrain from binding you down, I suggest you stay down!"

That voice. . who? No. It couldn't be.

Erik raised a hand and removed the washcloth from over his eyes when the blinding light of day hit his still sensitive eyes. With a wince and a gasp the washcloth was replaced over his eyes, inviting back the cold and the dark once more.

"Thank you. Now, even if it is wished that you remain in bed we can still conduct business, now I do believe tha-"

"Madam- err. . Ms. Sabor?" Erik asked uncertainly, trying to peak out from under the washcloth to see if it was really her.

"I know I'm not a sight for sore eyes, Mr. Destler." She spoke, and he had to wonder if that was a pun. "Please leave it. I'll go and shut the blinds, I had thought it better to get some sunlight in the room." Erik felt a dip in the bed raise slightly and he could hear the shutting of the blinds.

"Ms. Sabor. . not to sound rude. . but why are you-"

"here? Your friend Christine seemed worried and asked. She had things to do so I sent her along with Zero and I came here." Jacquelyn spoke calmly and shook her head. "You didn't look so good when I came in, and if you're wondering I had someone else let me in after you didn't respond to the first ten minutes of knocking. You were pale even asleep, though I have reason to believe that you might not have been sleeping, but knocked out. And like Ms. Daae warned, you did have a large bump on the back of your head. But we can waste no time if we want your production to get started on the pre-schedule. Does that answer your question?"

"I do believe that Grover would have my head if anything happened to you so soon. He spoke rather highly of you, almost overprotective actually." She mused to herself.

Erik reached up and grabbed a corner of the wash cloth, slowly beginning to let it slide off so that it left a wet trail across his forehead until it gave a wet slosh as it swung off and hit his arm. It felt as though a percussionist was having a field day in his deformed skull.

Deformed? Erik's eyes cracked open and he raised a hand to his forehead. His mask! It wasn't there! And Jacquelyn was staring straight at him.

* * *

"Wonderful, wonderful! Just do that in front of a bunch of stuffy critics who just so happen to have employment opportunities in their hands and you'll do fine!" Jack gave a few claps and walked over to Christine before giving her a hug. 

"It wasn't my best." Christine muttered, not even attempting to return his embrace. She just weakly leaned into it. "You know that too."

Jack frowned and brought his hand down and tilted her chin up just so she would look at him. He let go and her chin pressed into his chest, continuing to gaze up at him. "Why do you figure that?" he asked.

"Because you used the word 'wonderful', you aren't the type of person to use it, _Jackson_."

His frown turned into a scowl. "You know I hate it when you use my full name." he muttered, "And I can use whatever word I like. You're just being a angsty child, now what is wrong?" he asked, his arms criss crossing over one another and Zero laced his fingers with his hands, holding her closer.

"I'm worried about him. . Ms. Sabor didn't call your or anything has she?" Christine asked.

"You can call her Jacquelyn, you know. She's not evil or so strict about it. And no, I haven't. If you keep thinking about him, it'll just hinder your auditions." He stated, crossly. "Buck up, Missy."

Christine gazed up at him, her eyes locking with his. She raised one eyebrow. "'_Buck up, Missy.'_?" She asked, and broke his gaze, burying his face into his shirt and giving a few sporfled and choked off laughs. "Alright, now what has happened to my Jackson?"

"Jack." He corrected and rolled his eyes. "You don't listen to anything I have to say, and the one day you do. . ."

"You're being pouty."

"Am not."

"Are you. . mad at Erik? Even after what I told you?" Christine whispered.

"No, unless what you said to him and told me what you said to him was a lie." Jack muttered and let go of her, his hands dropping to his sides.

Christine shook her head a few times and took a half step back. "I didn't lie. And I never took you to be the jealous type, Jack."

"There we go. Nope, not jealous anymore. Maybe mad, don't tease me. I don't like it."

"Boo-frickety-hoo." Christine mumbled, hiding a smile.

"You can take that boo-frickety-hoo with you back to Jacquelyn yourself if you don't sing your best and get a job dear. I do think she is starting to think of me as loose baggage. Your last job, after all was-"

"You're trying to get me angry."

"Just to get your mind off of him, it worked, did it not?"

"Yes, and now I want nothing more then to punch you in the face!" Christine huffed and swung a fist at him. Of course, it would never hit, just all for fun. But Jack grabbed her fist, the impact making a nice smack as it made contact with his palm. In a heartbeat, Jack spun her and pulled her into his chest, her back to it. He gave a small smile as she let out a annoyed breath and squirmed before relaxing once more.

"I believe in you, Christine. I believe in you so much more then anyone else could, but you have to prove it to those who don't believe."

He felt her lay a hand on his two which met around her stomach and he kissed the back of her head. Two brown eyes looked up at him from the view out the window and a small smile made it's way on to her lips.

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you too, Christine."

He bent down and kissed her, and he knew, that there was no way any friend, or anyone could take her away from him. Not Erik, not anyone. Unlike the masked man, Jack was not a friend to Christine, and he intended to keep it that way. Jealousy is a devil, yes, but he was not jealous. Jack just had a over-protective side, just like everyone else. Hearing another man tell Christine that he loved her, not like a friend, but a lover was a bit to trigger that sense in him; even if he had not heard Erik say it directly, he had been told by Christine, and that was enough. Particularly with how she was acting.

Jack gave a small smile and a slight exhale though his nose as he felt Christine's hand caress his cheek before turning back around in his arms.

"I'm ready, Jack. Thank you. Lets get this audition over with."

Her lips met his and Jack couldn't help but think of how stupid he had been acting and thinking. Christine wasn't going anywhere, she wasn't going to leave.

Erik was better off elsewhere any ways.

"Let's go, Christine."

He and Christine were better off without Erik.

"Alright, Jack." she tugged him towards the door.

Things wouldn't change. Jack could just tell.

* * *

**Ending note: Not all endings are happy. Thank god it's not the end right? See you all in the next chapter, which I hope will be up Sunday or Monday. It all depends. But I promise, it won't be a month. . or two. . sorry. .**

**Man. . I really missed this story. Review!**

**TheDragonEye**


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